Dedication ceremony to mark opening of U.S. Courts and U.S. Senate offices

December 13, 2021

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — A dedication ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Dec. 17 to mark the opening of a new facility for the U.S. Courts and U.S. Senate offices.

“The new courthouse is wonderfully accessible and is extremely efficient in its design,” said Chief Judge John A. Jarvey, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. 

“The courtroom is modern and beautiful and was designed in close collaboration with the judges of this court. All of the other offices within the building are fully functional, have great use of natural light and will provide clean, modern spaces within which to conduct our important work. We look forward to dedicating a facility that will serve the community for many decades to come,” he said.

Who (scheduled):

• U.S. Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
• U.S. Senator for Iowa Joni Ernst
• District Representative and Caseworker Jacob Appel, Office of U.S. Rep. Cynthia Axne
• Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh
• Chief Judge John A. Jarvey

When:    10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 17, 2021

Where:    2146 27th Ave., Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

RSVP:     For security purposes, all media planning to attend must provide names and contact information before noon Dec. 16 to Alison Kohler, 816-223-6198, alison.kohler@gsa.gov.

Access:  B-roll and imagery gathering of public spaces and availabilities with dignitaries are to be directly after the ceremony. Credentialed media are allowed to use cameras and voice recorders in public spaces for this event. The event is closed to the public.

Project details:

• The U.S. General Services Administration awarded a 20-year lease Dec. 6, 2019, for about 29,000 rentable square feet. The project completion date was slightly delayed due to supply chain issues, but the $7.3 million build-out ultimately came in under budget.
• The facility includes space for employees of:
  • U.S. District Court, Clerk of Court and Administrative Office for the U.S. Courts Southern District of Iowa — Council Bluffs
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa — Council Bluffs
  • U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services — Council Bluffs
  • Federal Public Defender for Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa — Council Bluffs office
  • U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Iowa — Council Bluffs office
  • U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa — Council Bluffs office
  • U.S. Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley — Council Bluffs office
  • U.S. Senator for Iowa Joni Ernst — Council Bluffs office

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About U.S. Courts

The U.S. Courts were created under Article III of the Constitution to administer justice fairly and impartially, within the jurisdiction established by the Constitution and Congress.